Archive for the ‘Midland Automobile Club’ tag

In an attempt to bring you coverage from all corners of the automotive world, we’ve managed to corral some overseas friends into covering motoring events for us. The latest in our merry gang of stringers is Gina Dungworth, a longtime vintage car enthusiast and hillclimb aficionado from the Midlands, UK. She recently attended the Midland Automobile Club’s “Wandering to Weston” event, and was kind enough to send us a report and photos! Take it away, Gina:

The Midland Automobile Club was founded at the beginning of 1901, arguably the fourth ever independent local car club in the UK, and still the only one still in existence under its original name. Best known for the speed hill climb track at Shelsley Walsh, first competed on in August 1905 (the oldest motorsport event still running over its original course), the club has always supported a wide variety of events, and has long had a very active Classics Section.

In addition to an annual concours event at Shelsley, and enthusiastic participation in all the general events and socials, the Classics Section organise three or four pleasure runs every year, the most recent taking place on the middle Sunday in October. Starting at a garden centre in Tamworth, where members were treated to a cup of tea and a bacon buttie, the run wound through Staffordshire and adjoining counties to finally end up at the grand stately home of Weston in the village of Weston under Lizzard, with its magnificent landscaped grounds and deer park.

Cars taking part ranged from the 1935 Lagonda Rapier and Riley Lynx to a 2007 Morgan 4/4 (with an appropriate ‘MOG’ personalised number plate), not forgetting the author’s Fiat Panda 4×4 masquerading as a 1985 Porsche 924 (sadly, the Porsche’s petrol tank had sprung a leak). Particularly noteworthy also were the 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, the 1967 Jaguar E type 2+2 auto, and the 2001 Pilgrim Sumo. As always, there was a good turnout of MGs and Triumphs, in spite of the run seemingly clashing with an MG Club event running on some of the same roads in the opposite direction.

Next year sees the return of the “The MAC Classic” in April, being run for a third time by popular demand. Cars will set off from four start points, and the event will conclude with an untimed run up Shelsley Walsh Hill itself. It’s a great opportunity for those more accustomed to life as spectators or pit crews to have a go as slowly as they might like, as the author’s mother can testify.